Thursday, June 30, 2011

Maybe if I write the name of this punch a few more times, I'll actually remember it. As of now, I'm still having to look it up. Blossom Petal Builder is the one that looks like a feather duster to me - Haven't used it too much so I tried another project and I think you might like this..

Ok, maybe you'll like it better next Easter instead of now but I haven't been turning out too many punch ideas so you best just take what I can give and don't be picky about seasonal timing.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Did I really NEED to punch yet another dog? No, but let's just be glad I punched something...

And he did turn out kinda cute...

Head and Body - Feather Duster looking part of the Blossom Petal Builder (BPB), for head insert small end into 1/2 inch circle to shorten and round for his forehead.
Muzzle - large leaf BPB - trimmed on one end to "match"
Ears - small leaf BPB
Paws - small blossom BPB, trimmed flat on one side
Tail - large oval next to hole of same
Nose - 1/2 inch circle on edge of paper
Tongue - any small circle next to hole of same - trim end to round
Collar - 3/4 circle around 1/2 circle hole
Heart tag - small heart to heart (old tiny punch from SU - might match eyes on the owl punch???)
Ring on color - circle from itty bitty punch pieces around standard hole punch hole
Eyes - small heart in white, standard hole punch in black

This was inspired by a stamp in a 2001 catalog that I am not allowed to name due to SU Cult Rules -Why are they paranoid about admitting other companies have nice product? (I can't answer because I don't understand the cult mentality)

The real question is why do I still have ANY company's 2001 catalog?.... might be time to do some more purging around here...

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Lost

I think we'll have to call June 2011 the "Lost Month" on the Blink Blog.

Went over to my former upline's house this week thinkin' she'd light a fire under my lazy crafting butt. But she was not up to that monumental task - I sat and visited with her while she scrapbooked. I punched a few pieces with a new pennant punch that is coming out July 1- but made exactly NOTHING worth sharing.

She was working on an old Halloween page where her son was TAZ. So we pulled up my punched Taz on her laptop and she recreated it. I just kept looking at it thinking "how the heck did I ever figure that out?" I was amazed at my former self - that was definitely genius compared to what I've thought up lately.

I have a couple of ideas that are flitting around in my head. Maybe July will be a better month.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Been "on the Vineyard" with my girls and my brother's clan and my mom (SO very nice to have relatives that plan your trip for you!) Got home a little before 2 am - TIRED - so we all slept in

But I just had to post a little VICTORY announcement in case you didn't notice that our beloved MAVS are the CHAMPIONS in the land of the orange round ball and hoops with cute little nets dangling from them.

Hubby didn't travel with us because he had TICKETS to all the home games in the series and had to leave on a business trip before our scheduled return. When I talked to him, he was so excited I think he could have gotten to his destination without the plane - we are flying high around here!!

I did snap several photos with punch inspiration while on our trip so I hope to actually have some punch art for you soon. Sadly, first I must do laundry and grocery shop. Vacation would be so much better if there wasn't a full day of CHORES tacked on to the end of it, know what I mean?

Friday, June 3, 2011

Baby girl (also known as "kiddo who lives at home" will graduate from high school tonight. And let me BUST MY BUTTONS with pride telling you that her class rank is 11 out of a class of 760. If you need me to calculate that for you, she is in the top 2% of her class.

I hope you are impressed because we are so so proud. Smart smart smart (and cute and sweet) just like her big sis. That is also smart like her mama and cute like her daddy (neither of us are very sweet)

I told her she was EXTRA special graduating 11th in 2011. And I'll be beaming from the 4th row as she walks that stage.

Last fall I told y'all I was working on a punch art book, and I was. Then Daddy died and I got off kilter. Yesterday's announcement retiring the small oval punch(sob!) made it clear to me that a book just isn't practical to do - when the punches are not available for purchase, who would buy a book?

And basically, half the punch art on this blog is useless without this punch. Never thought they would retire such a basic shape - but alas, Stampin' Up! is focused on stamping not punching - the company is not called "Punching Up!", now is it? (grin)

As disappointing as this is, we will all survive somehow.

Yes, life will go on without the small oval punch, and it will CERTAINLY go on without my "1/4 th written" book ever seeing the light of day.

I still get regular emails from some readers asking about this project, so I thought I'd let you ALL know to stop expecting it.

Now, if you don't already own them, go order those punches before they are all sold out!

Designer Label Punch - Perfect for skeleton skulls, I think I used it for lanterns too - can't remember much else - you can survive without it unless you are a Halloween Freak (and then you might want the bat punch too)

1 3/8 x 5/8 oval- when I saw this I thought it was the new oval but girls - I think this is the "small oval" which is CRUCIAL for punch art. If you don't have it ORDER TODAY - NOW While supplies last!!!!! I suspect it is used for 1/2 of my characters - this is a top drawer - easy reach - used ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photo Corners Punch - used to make a "few" things. And I like it for photo corners. I recommend you get it while you can. It is a keeper!

Star Punch - I don't use it for a lot of punch art but come on - we need a star punch for STARS!!!! I recommend you buy this one too.

Bella Rose paper is a BRAND NEW download (of retired designer series paper) for MDS and I thought it would work with heritage photos - then, based on that paper, I decided to use one of the photo effect tools and tinted the focal photo pink. I think I like it!